Communication Styles

Many years ago I was told that women ask questions and men make statements.

Man: "It's too cold in here."

Woman: "Is it just me, or is it cold in here?"

Following a similar vein, check out this video:

In the bigger picture, you can use these and other techniques to make your women stronger, or weaker, or to shade how you write your men.

Writing Characters with Disabilities

Excellent 2-part list of 10 points about writing disabled characters. I highly suggest you read it.

10 Things Fiction Writers Need to Remember About Disability 1-5

10 Things Fiction Writers Need to Remember About Disability 6-10

And follow the links and comments for even more.

Just read a novel where several of the characters are 'survivors' of a war, each with a different kind of disability, and am wincing at a couple of devices the author used after reading these articles.

You'll want to read this one.

This is a GREAT article about writing, how to do it in the real world.

Dear Writing: I Hate You.

Are you writing? Have you slacked off?

In the past I was never a 'write daily' person unless I was under deadline. But I learned a new trick after over twenty years of writing--that writing daily has an unexpected benefit. It keeps my story in front of me. Making myself open the file and look at it daily, whether I write a handful of words or pages, keeps it on the front burner.

The more days I go without writing, the easier it is to slide away where I just don't think about it much.

I now write daily, even when I don't have a deadline. But I do have a deadline so I write even more daily. ;-)